'Eunjoseok-pyo' SNS Communication Draws Attention... "Politics into Everyday Life"

Since Taking Office as Party Leader on the 11th, 28 Posts on Facebook Until the Day Before
Mixing Honorific and Casual Speech... Supporters of Representative Lee Say "Feels Friendly"

Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the People Power Party, is attending the first Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 14th and delivering an opening remark. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Bo-ryeong] The 'Lee Jun-seok style' social network service (SNS) politics is attracting attention in Yeouido. Since his inauguration on the 11th, Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the People Power Party, has posted on Facebook every day without missing a single day for a week, leading to comments that "politics has entered everyday life."

Lee, who is leading the sentiment of the MZ generation, was adept at freely delivering his messages through SNS even before his inauguration. He drew attention by sometimes engaging in verbal battles with other political figures on timely issues. A representative example is his verbal sparring with former Dongyang University professor Jin Joong-kwon over 'gender conflict.'

Although there were expectations that SNS messages might decrease after becoming party leader, Lee continued to write posts as usual after his inauguration. Starting with his acceptance speech on the 11th, he posted a total of 28 posts on Facebook over eight days until the day before. On the 15th, he posted as many as eight posts. As of 10:30 a.m. on the 19th, he had posted two posts.

The content is diverse. He promoted the debate battle he personally conceived, 'I am the National Representative with Junstone,' by attaching introduction videos and photos, and directly refuted allegations regarding military service and receiving scholarships from the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation raised by some quarters. He clarified misunderstandings about the 'Ferragamo controversy' and media interview contents by providing explanations. On the 14th, he showed his side as a 'Cheol-deok (railroad enthusiast)' by posting a photo of the 'KTX-Eum' stopped at Gwangju Songjeong Station. Considering that KTX-Eum operates only on the 'Cheongnyangni~Andong' section, he wrote, "Somehow, it feels like this friend shouldn't be at Gwangju Songjeong Station."

Since SNS is a space shared by an unspecified majority, most posts are written in polite language, but occasionally posts written in informal language catch the eye. Kim Su-hyun (35), an office worker who supports Lee, said, "When I read posts written in informal language by Lee on Facebook, it feels like a friend wrote them rather than a politician," adding, "I used to think politicians were distant beings unrelated to me, but Lee feels friendly, so I can naturally read his posts."

The political world is focusing on Lee's SNS political moves. A member of the People Power Party said, "Looking at the current situation, SNS seems really necessary for communicating with the people," and added, "We will watch for a while to see which parts of Lee's SNS we should benchmark."

Critics have given positive evaluations. Um Kyung-young, head of the Era Spirit Research Institute, analyzed, "Politics has entered everyday life through SNS," adding, "Politics has always been operated as a league apart from the people, but even if this is showmanship, it is something to be appreciated." Jang Sung-chul, head of the Sympathy and Debate Policy Center, explained, "The advantage is that you can hear Lee's refreshing and sharp words directly, not through others."

However, concerns were also raised that SNS politics could be a 'double-edged sword.' Jang said, "One word can influence the party's policy and become the party's position, so there is a risk of unnecessary interpretations," adding, "He must feel a heavy responsibility in the position of party leader."